The Butterfly Path leads visitors uphill from the Cascade Garden and the Chicken Houses through wild forest. The path curves up following an ancient route used, perhaps for centuries, by villagers seeking blessings and a good harvest at the stone altars on the summit of Kwun Yum Shan. A side-path leads to the Rainbow Pavilion. Near the top of the Butterfly Path visitors find the Butterfly Garden and Convent Garden and beyond these, Fern Walk. (You can find details of 'Suggested Walking Routes'  routes, walking times, elevation, difficulty level and highlights in the link.) 

A millennium ago, this slope would have been clothed in natural, ‘primary’ forest, rich in biodiversity: picture towering trees with tigers and leopards prowling in lush understorey, and abundant orchids and ferns growing high in the canopy. Unfortunately, the magnificent original vegetation of Hong Kong was destroyed through centuries of human exploitation and fire, and with the loss of this habitat, many animal species vanished. Hong Kong’s landscape today is a patchwork of secondary regrowth, mostly comprising a diminished pool of relatively few native species that managed to survive, as well as manmade plantations containing many commonly planted exotic trees and shrubs. 

This site is one of KFBG's ecological enhancement projects. Either side of the Butterfly Path we are reintroducing an extensive range of Hong Kong native plants that have been raised in our nurseries, many now very rare in the wild. By restoring patches of diverse, native forest, we aim to create an environment in which hundreds or thousands of native plants, fungi and animals can flourish, revitalising invaluable ecosystem services in the process.  Please pause, breathe deeply and appreciate the view of the valley, the sounds of the stream and the amazing variety of life growing here!